CIT: Tell Me What To Do! Deputy Vanessa Williams, Berrien County Sheriff Dep Gretchen Carlson, MA LLP, Jail Diversion, Riverwood Center Introduction- Gretchen to introduce Vanessa

CIT Development from a Mental Health Perspective Keep relevant? Sell program to officers, community, and chiefs Improve officers perspectives Reduce Stigma Improve safety Community Officer The answer?.... Develop Narratives One officers narrative journey through CIT Gretchen- 2015 Grant Challenges of selling mental health approach to police training April- team to Chicago 40 hr training 5 dep 1 dispatch supervisor So what do we do? (The answer- swipe officer narratives) Define Narratives- consumer panel family panel officer experience

Prior to CIT Training, Mental Health Calls were: Chaotic Confusing Ineffective Frustrating Unpredictable Repetitive Vanessa- (describe mental health calls from your perspective and other officers). I was dealing with mental health crisis at home I felt helpless to resolve. I felt ineffective on mental health complaints. What answers could I give? I was very familiar with the petition process, it was repetitive in my personal life I was searching for someTHING, but did not know what that THING was~ the missing piece to the puzzle. Vanessa pause- advance slide Obj 3- mental illness impact on officer work, life, family, community and legislature

Pre-CIT 2015 Chosen by Captain to participate in CIT My personal expectations of CIT when asked to participate~ Interest from a personal & professional level Improve support to people on calls Provide better direction for care For caller or family Avoid tragedy How does “serve and protect” improve in a broken system? Other reasons officers attend CIT~ Mandatory~ “Vol-un-told” Career development It’s free Food Break from the road Safety ? Vanessa (cover top personal reasons) I had a professional interest, but also a personal interest in CIT. Personally, for me, it was to gain information, knowledge about mental illness to help my personal situation. Professionally, once I had the knowledge I wanted to share it on complaints That THING I was searching for… I was hoping I could get from CIT CIT TELL ME WHAT TO DO Gretchen (cover other reasons offiers attend) Obj 1- what motivates an officer participation in CIT

Vanessa- provided backdrop to Greg prior to illness (pause) Gretchen – Explain Slide layout Vanessa- timelines of illness Vanessa- (provide a progression of how your perceptions changed with the introduction of CIT in Chicago) Compartmentalization- silos that do not interact. Leave work at work and home at home. 2008- Guardian Greg's illness vs sons illness Out poor of support for cancer Many people brought cards, food, and expressed concern regarding sons cancer Donated comp time, miliary stipend. Greg’s Mental illness- three people asked Obj 3: mental illness impact on officer work, life, family, community and legislature

CIT: Why Tell My Story? CIT & Vanessa CIT & Greg Learning the signs and symptoms of mental illness and side effects of different medication has helped me to better understand Greg’s illness. I am no longer harsh, judgemental, an critical towards anyone with a mental illness. With the training from CIT it has not only enhanced my personal life, but has given me extra skills for my job when making contact with consumers. I am sharing my story as a person living with a mental illness to let you know there is hope. I am a person living with schizophrenia and have endured multiple crisis'. I found hope when I accepted the fact that I am a person living with a mental illness. I found stability with education, taking my medication, and family support. Vanessa: My perception changed after I attended CIT in Chicago Family Panel had a major impact on me. Observing the family panel, I realized that mental illness could affect anyone Race, class, gender it didn’t matter Up until this point I was living for the next crisis I shared everything I learned at the training with Greg Is this the THING????? Obj 2 : professional and personal impact mental illness narratives on developing a CIT program

Why are CIT narratives important? CIT Consumer and Family narratives broadened an understanding of mental illness, people get better. Disease can happen to anyone. CIT narratives help participants gain a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of mental illness. No longer ashamed of this person. I could apply CIT to my loved ones illness. CIT lowered boundaries between work and personal. The message of CIT is that its okay to talk about it. It empowered him/us to know his illness. Empowered me to share my own mental health narrative. CIT Narratives provide an interaction when people are better. Gretchen Narratives allow officers to see people in recovery. Stable, working, coherent Allows them to understand the chaos and heartbreak the family endures Reduces officer stigma- “I owe some people an apology”. Obj 1- gain the capacity to develop effective narratives for CIT training. Obj 2- professional and personal impact mental illness narratives have on a developing CIT program

CLOSING QUESTIONS….. Thank you Gretchen - Before we get into questions- Thank Vanessa & introduce Greg Gretchen I had no idea of her personal and family struggle Vanessa was always poised, confident, profession, in control, & ethical I have had the pleasure to met her husband Greg, and develop his narrative for the consumer panel, kind, considerate, insightful, dedicated, & hardworking Introduce Greg Dep Vanessa Williams, Berrien County Sheriff Department Gretchen Carlson, MA LLP, Riverwood Center, 269-925-0585